Trump’s requested delay in his scheduled March 31-April 2 trip to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping underscores how the Iran war has upended his foreign policy agenda. ” Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on February 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. China, which imported about 12 million barrels of oil per day in the first two months of 2026, the most in the world, has not directly responded to his request. ” Bessent made the comments from Paris, where he had travelled for trade negotiations with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. In the talks, which began on Sunday, the Chinese showed openness to potential additional purchases of US agricultural goods, including poultry, beef and non-soya bean row crops, one source said before ‌the second day of meetings. They also discussed the flow of rare earth minerals, largely controlled by China, and new approaches to managing trade and investment between the countries.